An illumination device for motor vehicles is known from DE 198 17 348 A1. The headlight presented there makes it possible, among other things, to regulate the width of illumination in that the optical reflection device can be swung around a horizontal axis that is positioned particularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Besides, segments of the optical reflection device can be swung around another axis so that by swinging these segments, one can provide a curved light for multi-track motor vehicles.
A problem is also encountered in the case of single-track motor vehicles, such as motorcycles, as they are driven around curves due to the inclination of the vehicle. As a rule, a headlight that is rigidly connected with the motorcycle or with the fork of the motorcycle can no longer illuminate the roadway in front of the motorcycle in an optimum fashion. There are various approaches in the state of the art to remedy this problem; by way of example, it might be mentioned that one can make provision for positioning the entire headlight in the motorcycle in an accordingly movable manner so that it can be swung simply upon the inclination of the motorcycle. This is disadvantageous since the positioning of the entire headlight in the motorcycle is expensive and awkward, and also, since the entire headlight must be swung when driving around a curve. As a result, one must move a relatively great mass, the movement becomes slow, and furthermore, much structural space is required.
The headlight disclosed in DE 198 17 348 A1 likewise does not make it possible to solve the general complex problem of light distribution while driving around a curve with a single-track motor vehicle; this is so because, due to the swinging only of segments, light is still not deflected accordingly and gets into unnecessary areas on the roadway. This results mainly from the following fact: the headlight disclosed in DE 198 17 348 A1 is intended for multi-track vehicles where, as they are driven around curves, one does not encounter the complex problem connected with the inclination of the vehicle but rather the actual “concomitant steering” of the light distribution in accordance with the steering deflection of the vehicle.